Involve Your Children in Focused After-School Programs

This year  Laity will be providing its after-school program to three schools. Yes, the dream is growing and we are eager to continue providing quality artistic programming to students K-12 in as many schools that will have us. Which leads me to the title of this particular post: Involve Your Children in a Focused After-School Program. How does one determine whether a program is "focused?"

An activity which is focused normally has a specific outcome tied to it and skill-sets which should have been acquired during the learning of that activity. Many times parents enroll their children in after-school programs with the intent that the kids have fun "doing something" and if they learn a skill in the process then that will suffice. At Laity there is a purpose behind each artistic and academic course. The courses are taught with a desired outcome in mind which will help support academic concepts the child is learning in the classroom during the traditional school day.

Laity has designed its curriculum to meet and exceed the California state standards in arts education by bridging it with the National Standards in the arts. This ensures your child is not only enjoying his/her activity but he/she is also learning key transitional concepts within that artistic discipline which will translate into the classroom during the regular course of their day.

New this year to our after school program will be instruction in the core academic subject of  math. The Masters Program in Math has been designed to accelerate students understanding of critical key math concepts in grades 4 - 6. The Masters Program in Math is a one hour, three day a week program that runs approximately 12 weeks in length. The Masters Program is not tutoring but actual instruction provided by a credentialed teacher.

Tuition for The Masters Program in Math is $480 for 12 weeks. A 10% discount is available for payment in full upon initial sign-up. Additional payment options available. Please call 888.732.6092 for more information. 

We are also happy to welcome two new dance teachers to our program this year Ben Gabon and Jayna E. Goins. You can view their profiles here.

Laity Arts: Ramping Up Again!

I don't know what sucks worse, this economy or the lack of arts programming in the schools. After closing our physical doors in January, and going virtual the very next month, we're back! After eight long months of providing lessons out of churches, homes, private studios and schools and not really knowing we would survive Laity has been granted another opportunity to yet again serve the community from one centralized location. No thanks to this economy, which at this point has become a Zen-like state of mind.

Truth be told however, we've been accustomed to having way too much in our culture and simply not knowing what to do with it all. Just look at the rise of franchise business opportunities in the personal storage business. We rely so much on the things we accumulate using our minds has in itself become a lost art. So what the heck does this have to do with Laity being back in action and the state of the arts in schools? I'm glad you asked.

Lessons Learned

When we came to the realization that the teachers at Laity were the institute and not the building we occupied, we were suddenly faced with a new found freedom. We could conduct our lessons anywhere we liked. We suddenly realized that the building limited our ability to see beyond the box. We relied too heavily on our location (building) that 'it' defined us and not our service. No one wants to spend $3900 a month in rent alone nevermind the other cost. It was an expensive lesson. One we will never repeat again but it was one that needed to be learned.

Now don't get me wrong, human nature being what it is, we've been conditioned to equate stability with a physical landmark of some kind. But the funny thing about that is the Internet has changed that paradigm. Actually it smashed it, so now you have major universities and learning institutions world-wide conducting classes online 24/7/365. Classes are taught in industrial complexes and recreation centers, junior colleges and business parks. Where ever the people want it has become the cry!

We're not naieve by any stretch of the imagination, it is important to have a consistent place from which to work from. But something wonderful happened over these 8 months that opened my eyes to new possibilities. I think in some strange way it was meant for us to go through this experience. Something needed to shake us to the core to realize that the gifts, talents and knowledge we possess can be shared anywhere, not just at a physical address. We can share and teach online through video, at a school site after school, in someones home, church or recreation facility. It has made us more aware of our community and its needs.

A New Beginning

Beginning October 4th, 2010 Laity will start LEAP (the Laity Education Arts Program) at the Palmdale Learning Plaza in Palmdale California. We will be providing the four pillars in the arts: dance, music, drama and the visual arts to children on that campus. Educational budget's are tight in California and I applaud the Palmdale School District for seeing the vision and being creative. The arts are mandated to be taught in the schools, but there isn't enough time or money to do both well. By thinking outside the box the school district will be fulfilling their mandate and mission to parents: To provide each of our children with a rigorous academic education, a safe learning environment, and the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for success. Laity is only too happy to help in this mission. It's what we do and we do it well.

In closing, think outside the box, support education and support the arts.

Keep the Focus!
Jim

Closing Physical Doors. Opening Virtual Ones.

After almost three years of kick ass service Laity will be closing its physical doors at the end of January. The economy sucks and pretty much nothing we could have done short of robbing a bank would have saved us. The landlord even dropped the rent a thousand bucks but it was too little too late. I fear they may lose the building altogether because of latent greed and ignorance of the market.

There is a silver lining. Although the Institute will not have a physical location (for now) and the management of it has now been taken over by the Arts Foundation, it will have a virtual presence. 98% of all of our student have been placed and the real cool thing about it, is they have been placed with their Laity instructors! They've all decided to teach privately in their homes or at pre-arranged locations. Cool thing is they're still connected to the Institute.

Laity will now place incoming clients with our highly qualified teachers at their own base of operations. This essentially wipes out Laity's overhead and still allows us to provide outstanding artistic instruction to parent or individuals seeking a high level of art instruction. Further, we are reaching out to other qualified free-lance teachers to work through the non-profit arm of Laity which will entitle them to access to grants and other benefits they would not be able to get on their own. We now begin building an association of highly experienced, highly qualified teachers through one source, thereby taking the guesswork out for the parents in finding legitimate teachers for their children.

Yes, we're sad to see our physical space go, but we are now free to explore new possibilities in networking and collaborating that will afford Laity a greater reach and the ability to serve more people. Yeah, the economy sucks! So what, the arts still rock! so with that said.

"Welcome to the Laity Institute of the Arts, your virtual Arts Institute!"

Neighborhood Scholarship Grants Are Back!

We're very excited about this recent grant we received, but the opportunity and information is time sensitive. A private organization has once again decided to subsidize a major portion of tuition for children wanting to take visual arts, group guitar lessons or dance at Laity.

As you know financial times are very challenging for parents who desire after school programs of substance for their children but don't have the money. The funding organization providing the funding realizes this and have taken steps again to insure that anyone wanting to learn the arts can. Please help us to get this information out to the rest of our community. If you are a parent needing this opportunity, please take advantage of it.

Normal pricing for these subjects are $75 a month for art lessons and $100 a month for group music lessons. With the grant the monthly tuition has been brought down to $45 a month for art lessons and $45 a month for group music lessons. This grant is for new students only.

Here's how to take advantage of these grants.

1.) You must respond to this email by calling Laity Institute of the Arts at 661.223.5585. Better yet, come in.

2.)You must be prepared to pay a reduced registration fee of $20 per child (normally $35), the 1st and last month tuition and a materials fee of $30 (for arts supplies) for a total of $140 per child. If you have more than 1 child then 10% will be taken off for each additional child.

3.) The grant requires consistent enrollment in the program for no less than 6 months with minimal absences. You must agree to the minimum requirement.

This is a time sensitive program. Enrollment must be no later than Nov. 1, 2009 at 6PM. (Yes we know it is a Sunday!) If you can't use this information and know someone who can please forward this information along to them.

Thousands of dollars have been awarded to subsidize ANY student up to 18 years old in art, music and dance. There is limited space and room for only 50 students total in all areas. Don't wait! It's first come first served. November 1, 2009 is the absolute deadline for enrollment. Anyone interested should come to the Institute. I know the flyer says call but it's better you come in person with a copy of the flyer and register. Again, please don't wait. The last time we were provided this opportunity we had to turn away over 20 families because they waited until the last minute!

P.S.
If you are a Homeschool educator and you want to take advantage of this grant you can. Laity will be opening it's doors Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9AM - 1PM to facilitate the Visual Arts and Group Guitar lessons.

There are two Visual Arts classes available each Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning starting at 9AM. Classes are an hour and a half and are geared for children ages 8 and up. Class enrollment size is limited to 10children per class.

Group guitar lessons are also available each Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10AM - 1PM. Group Classes are 45 min. and are limited to 5 - 7 students per class. Geared for children ages 7 and up. There must be a minimum of 5 students per class for it to open. There is limited space for only 50 students in the morning program for all areas.

French for Children After Dance Classes

How important is it for your child to know a foreign language in today's global economy? I hope you answered 'very important.' We think so, too. That's why we will be offering lessons in learning the french language to children in our Intro to Dance and Kids Combo dance classes every Saturday for an hour immediately after their class.

The cost will be an additional $20 per month but the benefits will be tremendous.  Scientific research confirms that the prime time in life for learning a language is from birth to age twelve. NEWSWEEK calls it the "window of opportunity" for languages. In Europe, kids commonly start a second or even a third language at the same time as their first. Why? Because it will never be as easy again. The secret is to start now.

Laity will be providing a solid foundation in French for children 4 - 9.  Speaking, listening, reading, and writing will all be emphasized, with class time devoted to oral expression.

Antelope Valley's New Film Academy

So what is this film academy stuff we've been talking about? Well, here it is in a nutshell.

The Laity Arts Film Academy (LAFA) is founded on the core principle of integrating industry professionals with students that are passionate about content production in an intense creative learning environment.

LAFA offers intensive training from working professionals using the latest industry tools. Our mission is to prep each student for a career in an ever converging entertainment world that's increasingly impacted by technology, diversity, global integration, independent production as well as traditional media.

LAFA teaches Film Directing, Screenwriting, Film/Television Acting, Commercial Acting, Show Development, Computer Animation & Gaming, and Post Production. LAFA's high industry standards and a hands-on approach to learning, will allow students to explore and create practical work as they learn in a class structure that is more condensed than a traditional school setting.

LAFA is founded on the same progressive philosophy upon which Laity Institute of the Arts was founded -- to make a true impact in the artistic endeavors of those that embody a "passion for the arts!"

That's it. Now, it's time to get the creative juices flowing. Tons of meetings to take and lots of great and passionate people to see.

[Selah Moment]

There's something that needs to be said here before I close. I've heard rumblings from other people who have similar ambitions here in Antelope Valley talk in terms of "owning" the Antelope Valley when it comes to the kind of endeavor we're currently embarking on, and it's troubling to say the least. When I hear people talk in these terms I immediately see posturing and a sense that the community is to be used for their own self-defined purposes. How does that improve the artistic development of the community or raise the bar towards excellence? It doesn't. Soon, questions begin to arise: What exactly is it that they want? Money? Fame? Recognition? Power? That kind of thinking has landed us in the situation we're in now with our country. It always leads to greed, and for the life of me I can't understand how folks continually fall under the spell of people like this.

News Flash: "It's not always about money and position. It's about service to others." The only consolation I have is "you shall know them by their fruit."

From the beginning Laity has sought to be transparent and accountable in our intentions and an asset to the artistic community. For anyone reading this blog I'd be very careful of anyone or any organization who has a predatory agenda and feels comfortable enough to verbalize it in public.

I really think there's enough room for everyone to share their gifts and ideas here in the AV. Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing. I say let the people decide. In the mean time we're gonna get to work bringing 20 years of truth and excellence through the visual and performing arts to life in the arts and now through film and new media!

Keep the Focus!

Jim